how to set up a contest

[swany]

Bar hires the judges and pays the prizes, it is their place and their prize.
Contestant info should be gathered as they enter on paper.
Rules should be printed and handed out to contestants that apply, that way no rules will be called unfair and contestant will understand what they can get points for.

3 judges each night in the semi finals new judges each week, KJ has the right to over ride obvious bias of judges with the Bars representative.

In the finals, no karaoke monitor. Know your songs. Can't sing the same song that got you into the finals, this eliminates one hit wonders.

Judge Contestants and award points, on appearance, showmanship, and of course talent. Give one extra point for not using the monitor this can sometimes bring a person into the finals, it is however available to all. Most of the serious contestants will know their songs anyway.

Finals contestants are awarded a place in the finals by these points. Eliminates a ringer coming in one night and qualifying.

Other things to be considered, you can make it music you have only or allow someone to bring in music you don't have. The latter does sometimes give a new person an edge with a popular new song you don't have.

[TKaraoke]

You probably also require that each contestant bring 20 friends with in order to be eligible to sing in the semi-finals or finals too, only use SC discs, wear dress slacks or dresses, no hats, no gym shoes, no bad smelling cologne..... ! Sounds like a karaoke thing going on around Chicago, they think they are the new American Idol. That's exactly why I hate karaoke contests. I think going into a bar to sing karaoke and have someone hand me a page of rules is just ridiculous. This all started as everyone "suppose to be having fun", now it's like bars and some KJ's want to be the KGB, give it a break, let's all just have some fun. 10 years ago I said when I stopped having fun, I'd stop doing shows. I have "stopped" doing shows after 10 years just because of stuff like this, bar owners, managers, and entertainment directors that have no clue of whats going on in their own establishments, and all the infitesimal bs that we are suppose to put up with. No thank you, if I want to sing, I have the best system around to sing on in my basement, I don't need the hassle, it was fun to do shows and watch all the people have fun every night, that was the good part of KJ'ing. It wasn't even the money for me, it was the satisfaction of doing a good show and people having a good time, period. It's comaparable to those teachers that teach just because they need a job, then go get another job don't teach! Oh well, enough of that or I'll go on all day.

To sum it all up:
Have lot of song choices
Have a good sounding system
Be friendly to people
Get as many people to sing a show as possible
Start on time always
Run a Fair rotation
(Not necessarily all in this order)
IF YOU DO THIS, THEY WILL COME!

[muzicman144]

I do not get involved in Karaoke contest, but have seen quite a few. Never seen one that is completely fair or un-biased. I personally don't believe it is possible because someone (judges, KJ, Bartender, club owner) always has a dog in the fight, no matter the claim of no undo influence. The best way to get a bad name in this business is to have a Contest go wrong even when the kj is free of blame. It will land on your shoulders
muzicman144